An outlaw country headliner whose music reaches far beyond the genre's borders, Sara Petite has built an award-winning career with songs that owe as much to the rock & roll roadhouse as they do the honky-tonk. The five-time International Songwriting Competition finalist returns once again to the intersection of country twang and roots-rock bang with The Empress.

Produced by 2X Grammy® nominee Eric Corne, it's a rawly-refined record whose 11 songs take place in dive bars, trailer parks, the throes of passion, and the feedback loop of addiction. Sara embodies her characters fully, from the heartbroken narrator on "The Mistress" — an old-school country/soul ballad about a lover's affair with alcohol — to the hell-raising hillbilly heroine for "Bringin' Down the Neighborhood. "Sara is an incredible lyricist and embodies her characters like a method actor," says Corne, who recorded the bulk of the album during a pair of inspired weekends. 

It's a rawly-refined record that's every bit as diverse as Sara herself, with songs rooted in history and experience. "I'm an ever-evolving person who refuses to stay the same, and The Empress reflects that," she says. "My work is very personal, so this record is me — a securely insecure, confidently unconfident person who's learned to be comfortable with the in-between."

CRITICAL PRAISE

• “Vocally, lyrically, and instrumentally, Petite’s latest offering of originals is a stunner, a no-holds-barred travelogue fit for lovers, fighters, and just plain folks who enjoy a rowdy ride in the country.” No Depression

• “More Twang and Emotion Than a Pickup Truck Full of Beer Swigging Cowboy Hatted Texans. Sara Petite hails from Washington state, and is currently based in San Diego, but has more twang in her little finger.” - Rocking Magpie

• “Dynamic and distinctive, conveying clear confidence and the decided influences inherited from her heroines and forebears —Loretta Lynne, Dolly Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Emmylou Harris. The Empress rules!”  American Songwriter

•  “Take aspects of your favourite outlaw country women - a bit of Dolly at her most idiosyncratic, some of Lucinda Williams’ hard won truth, a dash of Loretta Lynn’s verve and a dollop of Elizabeth Cook’s dry humour - mix ‘em up with confident country vocals, sprinkle on a whole lot of charm and you’ve got many, but not all, of the ingredients that make Petite’s music boil.” Holler Country

•  “She refuses to play by any rules during an award-winning career that began in 2008 and continues to mix hot and humorous hoedowns with relentless roadhouse rock ’n’ roll.” PopMatters

• ​​“She can sing a buzzard off a slop wagon” - Mojo Nixon (SiriusXM Outlaw Country)

• Winner San Diego Music Awards - Best Americana/Country Artist & Album San Diego Music Awards

• 5 Time International Songwriting Competition Finalist